Naturism is an activity or rather a nude art of living. Naturists live nudity outside of any sexual connotation when sex is an essential aspect of exhibitionism and voyeurism. What the dictionary tells us:
- Naturism: The belief in or practice of going nude, especially in non-sexual social settings and as part of a conscious choice of lifestyle.
- Exhibitionism: The deriving of sexual gratification from fantasies or acts that involve exposing one’s genitals to a non-consenting stranger.
- Voyeurism: The compulsion to seek sexual gratification by secretively looking at sexual objects or acts; the actions of a Peeping Tom.
As you can see, there is no ambiguity in the dictionary. Naturism is not sexual, exhibitionism and voyeurism are. Also, the definitions emphasize the sexual gratification aspect of both exhibitionism and voyeurism. With these three definitions, we can say that naturism does not rhyme at all with exhibitionism or with voyeurism.
Amalgamation
One often hears the amalgam done by naturism opponents. It is, therefore, necessary to always put things in perspective and go back to the definition of the International Federation of Naturism: “Naturism is a way of life in harmony with nature characterized by the practice of communal nudity with the intention of encouraging self-respect, respect for others and the environment.” Indeed, naturists do not all live in harmony with nature, some are naturist at home, but not in naturist structures, but all agree to dissociate naturism and sexuality, and especially deviance or sexual disorder. Naturism is healthy and natural, under no circumstances deviance or a dysfunction.
So why does this amalgamation exist in the mind of many people? In my opinion, there are several reasons that I expose below.
- A lack of knowledge of naturism, its philosophy of life and the structures that frame it as your national or federal naturist federation. This lack of knowledge gives free course to all the fantasies and ideas received.
- The sulfurous nature of Cap d’Agde or some swinging structures has contributed to throw the anathema on naturism and to assimilate it to some special sexual practices.
- A negative experience in a naturist camp site or on a naturist beach. The insistent glances of some strollers or their open sexual behaviors in the sight and knowledge of all can cool the shy and make them leave the naturist milieu once and for all.
So from there to say that real naturists are neither voyeurs nor exhibitionists? There are naturists like textiles. There are voyeurs and exhibitionists among the naturists. They are the ones who harm the most our lifestyle by discrediting it with non-naturists. But they form a minority, which should be isolated or even expel if they do not wish to return to a non-sexual practice of naturism.
No amalgamation
The question that remains is, but is there not a voyeur or an exhibitionist who sleeps In every naturist? What fuels this desire to get naked in the midst of others naked people if not exhibitionism or voyeurism?
The reasons that cause naturists to strip socially varies from one naturist to another. For some, it’s the search for comfort, for others, the flattening of social strata, for others a way to cool down our mundane world. For a vast and overwhelming majority, it is a total dissociation of sexuality and nudity. The naked body is seen only as a naked body, nothing inherently sexual, just well-being.
Is it then always possible to remain insensitive to all these naked bodies? Human beings remain human beings! You don’t have to be naked to feel attracted to another person. For the naturists, it is the same. So is there a voyeur or an exhibitionist who sleeps In every naturist? Not at all! Naturists are people like all others who simply enjoy being naked without embarrassment or any other motives.
Photo by Hauke Irrgang on Unsplash
